Sports News of Thursday, 22 March 2018

Source: Reuben Obodai

There was no cabal to oust Kwesi Nyantakyi; we only wanted accountability - Koku Anyidoho

Koku Anyidoho, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC play videoKoku Anyidoho, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC

NDC General Secretary Koku Anyidoho has debunked claims there was a cabal at the presidency in 2009 to oust the president of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, insisting that they were only interested in accountability.

On Monday, Anyidoho disclosed that during the former ruling party’s time in office, they wanted to investigate the dealings of the nation’s football governing body but it took the intervention of former President John Mahama to stop the probing.

He claimed some party bigwigs including former Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Kojo Bonsu and Kojo Twum Boafo were bent on investigating the federation over corrupt practices, but says Nyantakyi had to run for cover and approached then Ghana Vice-President Mahama to intervene.

Anyidoho claims fuelled perception that the NDC conspired to boot-out Kwesi Nyantakyi from office during their time in office.

However, during an interview with Ohene-Bampoe Brenya on Happy FM’s Anopa Bosuo Sports, Anyidoho rejected those cabal claims and expounded that they only wanted fair accountability.

“There was nothing like a cabal, where cabal means what? The FA itself don’t they have a cabal,” Anyidoho quizzed.

“We are talking about accountability you’re talking about cabal. Why should government be investing heavily in football and there will be no reverse accountability, in the days of president Kwame Nkrumah look at the extent to which they were crying at everyday, always they say lesser known sports.”

“There were days when hockey was being played at a high level. President Mills gave us the fan-based astroturf when he was the vice president, and when he became president he gave us the water-based astroturf. The sketch is there but we are not trying to revive it. There is Rugby, Table Tennis and we go and invest heavily in football and they say co-efficient, co-efficient of what?

Anyidoho added, “When we talk about investment in football, is it investment in only the Black Stars, where is the U17, U20 and U23 and the Black Meteors. I can’t remember the last I heard about them, meanwhile we know that it was the meteors that produced the Yaw Prekos, Kwame Ayews of Barcelona, Ezekiel Alamu and co; where is the Meteors today and when you talk they say co-efficient.”